my 3 little chickadees

dad multitasking: laundry and baby duty all in one

How's it all going you might ask?  Well, it's bloody hard work with 3 kids.  I call it a success if we make it through the day just doing the basics: laundry, tidying up, nappies changed and snacks made, dinner prepared; you get the picture.  If I manage a 30 minute jog and a peaceful hot shower, it is deemed hugely successful and productive.  At the same time as wanting all of this to hurry up and get easier, I find myself cherishing every moment with my newborn.  I actually savour it in slow motion because I know I will never go through it again.  At night when I feed Tui, I stare in amazement at this little bundle who is wholly dependent on me.  As my toddler screams and asserts herself and drives us all crazy I try to give her all of my attention and eat up this adorable 2 year old stage of learning to talk and communicate.  Gigi tries to get herself dressed and undressed, she has definite ideas of what she will and won't eat, what shoes she will wear (only the pink hello kitty crocs) and which cup she wants to drink out of.  She has to speak loudly if she wants our attention as we read books and do puzzles with the 4 and a half year old and spend hours and hours feeding and changing the newborn each day.  It's hard work being the middle kid.  Even more so when you can't quite talk yet.  But everyday Gigi has new words and I don't want to miss a moment of her changing from a babyish toddler to a little girl.  Rita will be off to school in 6 months and I can't believe how much she is growing and changing.  We expect more from her as the oldest and sometimes the poor thing just wants a cuddle and a kiss instead of having to help us tend to the younger ones.  We have overheard her playing mums and dads and saying that she'll be the baby.
How can we possibly split our attention equally?  It will get easier, won't it?  And then before you know it we will have 3 teenager girls to deal with!  For now I want to take it all in and cherish this moment that will soon be a distant memory.